NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: HARLEM

By JENNIFER KINGSON BLOOM

Published: March 5, 1995

When Assemblyman Angelo Del Toro died of a heart attack in December, many East Harlem residents assumed his brother William would inherit the seat he had held for almost 20 years in a district where almost half the residents receive some form of public assistance.

But with a special election scheduled for March 14, William Del Toro is facing a formidable challenge from Francisco Diaz Jr., the district manager of Community Board 11, whose candidacy is backed by the neighborhood's most powerful unions and political leaders, including Congressman Charles B. Rangel.

Mr. Del Toro is the nominee of the Democratic Party -- a position giving him an advantage on top of his family's large web of friends and political allies -- but Mr. Diaz, running as a Liberal and an Independent, has mustered support from all parts of the district, which includes El Barrio, the Hispanic area of East Harlem, and part of West Harlem and the Upper East Side.

Given state budgetary constraints and the new Republican administration, it is unlikely that either front-running candidate will be able to deliver services and programs to the district the way Angelo Del Toro did through his seniority and influence. Most East Harlem leaders believe their best hopes for funding jobs and housing programs lie in the Federal Empowerment Zone program, not the State Assembly.

Even so, some residents believe the outcome of the election will say a lot about their neighborhood's priorities. Mr. Diaz and his supporters say his election would send a message to Albany that East Harlem wants to start with fresh leadership. Mr. Del Toro and his supporters say his longstanding Albany connections would give him an advantage in boosting economic development.

Mr. Del Toro is a convicted felon who served time in 1974 for bribery and perjury in a scheme to bribe a Model Cities program official. The bribery conviction was later overturned.

"If Del Toro lost this, it would be a major upset," said Angelo Falcon, director of the Institute for Puerto Rican Policy. "He has always been tainted with the reputation of being a corrupt person, but people may feel more comfortable staying with the devil they know."

But others say William Del Toro lacks his brother's appeal and they give better odds to Mr. Diaz. "Bill represents the old machine that's been in office, in power for the last 20 years," said David Gibbons, a community board member and Diaz supporter, "and Frank represents a new perspective."

Since no more than 5,000 voters are expected at the polls, everyone agrees the election will hinge on which candidate can bring out the vote. .

A Republican candidate, George L. Espada, is pinning his hopes on a high Republican turnout, inspired by the party's success last November. But Democrats in the district outnumber Republicans 12 to 1. A fourth potential candidate, Nelson Antonio Denis, was disqualified by the Board of Elections but is appealing in court.

Mr. Del Toro, a cheerful and portly man who is trained as a minister, characterized his opposition as "outside forces." Mr. Diaz said he is worried about Election Day misconduct; his campaign will post monitors at each poll site. "History is that the poll site inspectors encourage people to vote for Del Toro quietly," Mr. Diaz said. "Our poll watchers will be watching them very closely so that the inspectors are not tampering with the machines that may be getting the most votes for me." JENNIFER KINGSON BLOOM

Chart: "Candidate profiles" Francisco Diaz, Jr. Age: 35 Career: The district manager for Community Board 11 and the secretary of Community School Board District 4, Mr. Diaz has managed and served on the board of directors of a variety of civic organizations in East Harlem. Parties: Liberal, Independent, and New Leadership (a party Mr. Diaz created by petition) Endorsements: Congressman Charles B. Rangel; Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney; Congresswoman Nydia M. Velazquez; State Senator David A. Paterson; Borough President Ruth Messinger; the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union; hospital workers' Union 1199; the Teamsters local 237. William Del Toro Age: 54 Career: A minister with an urban planning degree, Mr. Del Toro served as the volunteer manager of his brother Angelo's district office and has directed several nonprofit enterprises. Party: Democratic Endorsement: State Senator Olga A. Mendez George L. Espada Age: 51 Career: A former professional wrestler and singer, Mr. Espada is an administrative assistant at the New York City Board of Elections. Party: Republican Endorsements: State Senator Roy M. Goodman; Assemblyman John A. Ravitz